Abstract: Objective To study the toxic effects of exposure to anthraquinone on acute lethal effect, life span, fecundity and activity of antioxidant enzymes in Caenorhabditis elegans （C. elegans）. Methods Nematodes at L4 stage were exposed to anthraquinone （with the concentration of 0, 8, 20, 50, 125 μmol/L respectively based on the solubility of anthraquinone and acute toxicity test） and 1% dimethylformamide （DMF）, the lethality, life span, brood size and activity of enzymes were measured. Results After 24 hours of acute exposure to anthraquinone, the nematode lethality of C.elegans increased with the increase of the dose, with the concentration of 20、50、125 μmol/L, the lethality rates were statistically different compared with the 1% DMF group（P<0.05 or P<0.01）. Meanwhile, the exposure of 8, 20, 50, 125 μmol/L, the increased activities of superoxide （SOD） were detected （P<0.01）. After long-term exposure to anthraquinone, compared with the 1% DMF group, exposure with the concentration of 125 μmol/L induced the reduction of brood size （P<0.05）. The average lifespan was decreased at the concentrations of 20, 50, and 125 μmol/L （P<0.05 or P<0.01）. Conclusion Exposure to anthraquinone can affect the lethality rate, lifespan and fecundity of C. elegans. In addition, anthraquinone can activate antioxidant enzymes and the oxidative defense system.

Key words: Anthraquinone, Caenorhabditis elegans, Acute toxicity, Lifespan, Brood size